This page is an ongoing project to log the history of the Amateur Radio Club in Bath. The details are provided from log books, snippets and memories of local hams (at the time!) as well as listeners. If you can fill in any of the gaps, or provide further information, please get in contact with Rob M0tfo@m0tfo.com

1960s - 1970s

The Bath and District Radio Club started around 1968, run by Fred (G8BMR) and (later) Adrian. Its callsign was G8DUQ. It was based at 7 Lambridge Mews, Larkhall, Bath, on the second floor.

These are the callsigns of some of the early members:

• G2ZR
• G3ZYW Charles Debney
• G4BHP
• G4CHW
• G4FMS John (”Henry” - trained as a ship’s wireless op in Bristol, and went to sea)
• G8ATV Ian
• G8DX (not a full member)
• G8BMR
• G8FEX
• G8HKK Martin

The following people were involved in Bath amateur radio, but may actually have been members of an earlier club:

• G3FIH
• G3LLM
• G3LYW John
• G3NVY
• G3VBH Conway (also a member of the Admiralty Radio Club based at Foxhill, Bath)
• G3VVK
• G3VVO
• G3ZWL

In 1970, five more callsigns were added to the list:

• G8DRK Robin (”Vince”)
• G8DRL Roger
• G8DRM Christopher/Claude (?) (deceased)
• G8DRN Robin (now M0RCR)
• G8DRO Ken (no longer licensed)

Newer callsigns joining later were:

• G8ETK Mike
• G8FEX (now G0LTE)
• G8FLO John (now G4CYI)
• G8FMS John
• G8GID Stuart (deceased)
• G8GLA Dave
• G8GLO Dave
• G8HEH Adrian
• G8IOK John

The club used homebrew AM/FM TXs and/or HF RX with down converter, or modified commercial gear.

G8DUQ/P took part in many VHF contests, including one from the Westbury White Horse. The favoured location was a field on Lansdown Hill south of the Observer Corps Bunker (now a Fire Service Communications Centre). The club also ran a few display stations at the Camerton Steam Rally, once using a GB special event call.

Although it owned an HRO, the club was mainly interested in VHF and in its prime it operated a very active local AM net on 144.25MHz; this was before the band plan that made 144.25 the National SSB calling channel! Some members were active on 2m RTTY, 70cms and ATV.

The club was also interested in hot new technologies like pocket calculators, digital clocks and watches, dgital frequency meters, and SSB on VHF.

Dennis (2E0JWJ) has provided a page from his 1975 receiving log book, which shows a couple of entries for G8DUQ/P, the Bath club station.

Almost all the club members were roughly the same age (17-26), and gradually started to move on to other things. The original club was floundering by the mid-1970s, and folded not long after. By this time, members were meeting in the Church of the Ascension in Claude Avenue, Oldfield Park.

More information on Bath amateur radio in the 1970s can be found on the website of Ian Greenshields G4FSU.

1980s

Another club was started in the late 1970s/early 1980s with the callsign G4TMH, at the Englishcombe Inn in Englishcombe Lane. It appears that the callsign may have been registered to M.L. Mason of Lansdown Road, Bath. Some of the members (now deceased) were:

• G3LLM
• G3JQQ
• G8US

This is a programme for the Bath and District Amateur Radio Club, July/August 1988:

Included in the programme is mention of the apprehension of a person at the Longleat Rally who returned to try and sell a rig he stole at the previous Longleat Rally (1987).

There is also an article by G3FIH on breakthrough, and one on Dip Oscillators by Eric Otten G3GEV.

National field day, Bath 1951

Below is a swl-Qsl card from G8DX to Dennis (2E0JWJ) 1972…